Chris Christie and other Northeast governors went hat-in-hand to Washington this week seeking federal funds to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. And President Big Spender readily agreed, proposing $60.4 Billion in immediate aid.

President Barack Obama formally asked Congress Friday for $60.4 billion to help states such as New Jersey and New York rebuild in the aftermath of devastating Superstorm Sandy.

“Our Nation has an obligation to assist those who suffered losses and who lack adequate resources to rebuild their lives,” acting Office of Management and Budget Director Jeffrey Zients said in a letter to Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

As for that “our nation has an obligation” thing, here’s what Democrat Grover Cleveland(born right here in Caldwell, NJ) had to say about that:

I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution and I do not believe that the power and duty of the general government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit. A prevalent tendency to disregard the limited mission of this power and duty should I think be steadfastly resisted to the end that the lesson should be constantly enforced that though the people support the government the government should not support the people.

Amen Brother.

If you want to encourage redevelopment then invite private investment and incentivize them with tax breaks. Chris Christie keeps saying the Jersey Shore is so “vital”, well then entrepreneurs ought to be chomping at the bit to invest in its future. Banks can underwrite loans, leave the taxpayers out of it. And if you didn’t have insurance or can’t afford to rebuild? Sorry, but you chose poorly and that’s not my problem.

Any Congressman who votes for this boondoggle isn’t serious about cutting the deficit or reducing the size of government. It’s time to stop paying lip service to austerity and to start making the hard decisions. Otherwise, why bother complaining about anything the government spends money on?